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Green Office Certifications Awarded

September 17, 2013

Campus sustainability manager Ezra Small and the Green Office Program announced this month that Administrative Services and Physical Plant have reached the Gold level in office certification, while Transportation Services reached the Silver level and Campus Planning reached Green, the highest possible, in August.

Campus offices participating in the Green Office program receive wooden plaques to display prominently in their public areas. Small explains, “Those were not cut from trees for the sole purpose of making the plaques. We are smarter than that. They are salvaged wood clippings from the UMass wood shop, which means they are reused.”

The Green Office Program has now reached 40 participating offices across the campus, awarding 10 Bronze, 12 Silver, five Gold and 11 Green, plus two pending. Small said, “Congratulations also to our eco-leaders Tammy Parks from Administrative Services and Liz Tousignant from Physical Plant for helping our offices reach these certifications and for all your hard work and dedication to creating a sustainable work environment.”

To reach their new certification levels, staff in both Administrative Services and Physical Plant now participate in a kitchen composting program, they use an electronic recycling box and an office reuse cabinet. They are also both trying out 100 percent recycled copy paper in their printers and considering switching all copy paper over to 100 percent recycled.